Just A Few More Seconds
by RangerDeon
Summary: A short scene: Commander Shepard and Kaidan Alenko struggle to shield ex-Cerberus scientists from a reaper horde.


_Just a few more seconds, Shepard!_

Major Kaidan Alenko took a moment to look back at Shepard who was busy holding up a biotic barrier to shield them from the horde of husks and cannibals violently approaching. While his head was turned towards Shepard, concerned for his well-being, his arm was extended towards the locked door in front of him; using his omni-tool to attempt to bypass the lock to get them inside to safety.

Commander Mathiu Shepard has always had a knack for biotics and during his reconstruction by the Lazarus Project he was outfitted with L5x implants. His abilities were sufficient enough, but he has never tried his hands at creating barriers. About a year ago on the Collector Base, Shepard witnessed Samara, an Asari Justicar as beautiful as she was dangerous, use a massive biotic barrier to shield Shepard's team from the seeker swarm. Amazed, he decided to try it out for himself and eventually mastered it. That's at least what he wanted everyone else to believe. In reality, this was his first shot at it. He appeared to have known what he was doing, and even if he didn't he wasn't going to give them a chance to call his bluff.

There was so much at stake here, he couldn't afford to crack. The two of them weren't alone, huddled safely behind Shepard were three ex-Cerberus scientists. Shepard vaguely remembered seeing them on the Cerberus space station he found himself on after escaping the Lazarus station with Miranda and Jacob. He never knew their names, but he remembered their faces. They were the first he's seen since the carnage he just left; they were alive and well, a welcomed scene for someone who had just dealt with so much death – including his own – in the last few hours. It was nice to see the living, even if they were Cerberus.

At approximately 2:30am on a Monday, this Cerberus lab was invaded by reapers. The lab that was once full of scientists is now full of husks, cannibals, and a lot of dead bodies; and after two days of running and hiding the three scientists huddled behind Shepard were all that was left. The Illusive man had left them to die. _Over my dead body_, Shepard thought to himself as he remembered their story of the Illusive Man's decision to abandon. These three will make a great addition to the Crucible project, but more than that, these three are human beings – alive, and Shepard would much rather keep it that way. But at the way things were going, the reapers getting to the scientists over his dead body seemed more and more likely to happen.

From within the barrier, Shepard unleashed a series of mass effect fields that pushed and lifted the reaper hordes away. The more they hit the barrier, the more energy Shepard needed to keep it up; and the more energy he needed, the more Shepard began to fade. He wouldn't allow himself to lose consciousness, to fall. He wasn't only fighting for the lives of the scientists anymore, but also for the life of the man standing behind him. The two of them were new; it was only a few weeks ago that they agreed to form a bond that would eventually lead to love - only they both already felt that way. They've been through so much together and they knew so much about each other that finding the love they have for one another wouldn't be a quest; it was already there, mutually unspoken.

As his breathing became short and heavy and he fell to one knee, he remembered a line he overheard from someone, somewhere_. Dying here today with the one I love, now that's a good death_. Shepard disagreed. He couldn't die here, he couldn't allow the scientists to die, and he especially couldn't allow Kaidan to die either. Not here, not now, and definitely not like this. It was too soon, and they were new; there was so much to be explored and he wasn't ready to throw in the towel. A single stream of blood fell from his nose and he struggled to keep his eyes open. He began calculating just how much more he could take before it was lights out - 100%, then 57%, then 40%, 25%, 10%... so close to fading.

_Just a few more seconds, Shepard._

* * *

_A/N - If only I had the talent for visual arts. This little scene was actually something I envisioned while showering one morning. I would have much preferred to draw it than write about it, but I lack the skills. [insert sad face here]_


End file.
